Decent panel schedule too. They worked me! For example:
Friday 5PM INTERLOCHEN World-building Culture Beyond Aesthetics Many authors take care to ground readers in the aesthetic details of their secondary-world cultures, using clothing, architecture, food, and language to give readers a 'feel' for what a culture is like. Often, these details are drawn from stereotypes of real regions of the world, leaving us with the generic "middle easternness" of Narnia's Calormen, or the "future Chinese empire with no Chinese people" of Joss Whedon's Firefly. Let's talk about how to go beyond aesthetics to build original cultures with their own philosophies, biases, social orders, and worldviews. How can we build distinct cultures in our work without using medieval Europe as the cultureless default against which other societies are compared? What are our favorite fictional cultures, and our favorite stories that use distinct original cultures to add more to their world than appropriated aesthetics? David Anthony Durham, Max Gladstone, Michael R. Underwood, Scott H. Andrews, Shweta Adhyam
Friday 6PM SAUGATUCK Visions of Positive Masculinity - Moderator From high fantasy adventures to noir mysteries to superheroes and war stories, genre fiction has meticulously catalogued the narrow roles society expects men to occupy: strong, brave, and powerful, but also angry, competitive, emotionally repressed, and misogynistic. What does a character arc look like for the man who has decided not to be the best at performing this toxic vision of masculinity? We've seen many stories about women who struggle and triumph against gender roles. How can writers use social expectations of masculinity to create challenges that their male characters have to overcome to save the day? David Anthony Durham, Jason Sanford, Jim C. Hines, John Chu, Pablo Defendini
Saturday 10AM MANITOU Immigration and Refuge in Science Fiction - Moderator Travel stories are classics in any genre, but in science fiction stories of travelling to a new home are often about colonization, or about intrepid explorers amongst the (primitive) aliens. Let's talk about the science fiction stories that better reflect the experiences of immigrants and refugees in the real world. Alexandra Manglis, Amal El-Mohtar, David Anthony Durham, John Chu Saturday
12PM ISLE ROYALE The Ancient 1980s - Moderator When most people think historical fiction, they think of the 16th through 19th centuries. But genre fiction is increasingly taking on the recent past. What's the draw (beyond nostalgia) of the 1980s and 90s as fictional settings? What unique research challenges do they present, and how do writers balance providing familiarity for those who remember the era with background information for those who need context? What are our favorite modern works set in the recent past? Alexandra Manglis, David Anthony Durham, Michael W Lucas, Sara Dobie Bauer, Stephanie Morris
Saturday 2PM BIG TOP Any Sufficiently Detailed Magic System is Indistinguishable From Science - Moderator The influence of tabletop roleplaying games is widely felt in fantasy. Many stories make a 'science' out of their magic that reflects the carefully-balanced rules of a tabletop sourcebook. What are the trade-offs between creating magic systems with strict rules and leaving magic as a mysterious and unknown force? How do we balance the sense of wonder and magic against the desire to give readers a stable hook from which to suspend their disbelief? What makes a well-defined magic system work in a story, and when are we showing the reader too much of the machinery behind the curtain? Brandon Crilly, Charlie Jane Anders, David Anthony Durham, Kate Elliott, Shweta Adhyam, Jim Butcher
Saturday 5PM SAINT CLAIR Mass Autographing Session Come meet your favorite authors, artists and musicians and have them sign things! (Please limit your signing requests to 3 items per person.)
Very pleased to be able to announce that I've got my second keynote speaking gig at a conference! This time it's for the Writing the Rockies Conference at Western Colorado University. I'll be flying out there right after the summer residency at Stonecoast in July. Busy times. I'll be delivering the Genre Fiction Keynote.
Also doing a three day workshop called "The Long and Winding (and frequently bumpy and terrifying) Path of a Writer". I know a bit about that...
You know what I'm dreaming of? Spring. The mild, wonderful days of... oh, let's say May. What a marvelous month. By late May, the snow really will be gone. Really, I'm sure of it. I'll head up to Vermont for the absolutely wonderful Vermont College of Fine Arts Novel Retreat. We'll talk books and writing. I'll wear short sleeves. I'll sit outside at some cafe and chat with folks as birds fly around singing.
Offering another post written months ago but not published!
Here's a first. I was recently asked to be one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming Write Angles Conference.
What is Write Angles? Here's what they say:
Now in its 29th year, WriteAngles is Western New England’s premier conference by writers, for writers. At this one-day gathering, you’ll mix with experienced writers and agents in panel discussions, hands-on workshops, face-to-face meetings, and in casual networking opportunities. The affordably priced conference fee includes a continental breakfast and a bountiful buffet lunch. The conference is held in Mount Holyoke College’s gracious Willits-Hallowell Center in South Hadley, Massachusetts.
Past Keynoters have included Valerie Martin, Richard Russo, Julia Glass, Dennis Lehane, Patricia Smith, Andre Dubus, and Ann Hood - just to name a few. Now me? Yikes.
I was actually a panelist at this a few years back. Fun event. But this is the first time anybody has called me a "keynote" anything. Apparently I'm up at the podium for 45 minutes. Good thing I have until October to come up with something to say!
I'll be heading across to Boston this weekend for Boskone, a conference I enjoy quite a bit. I've got a busy schedule this time. If you're heading that way, make sure to say hello!
Here's what I'll be doing:
Friday 19:00 - 19:25,
Reading, Independence
Friday 21:00 - 21:50, After the End of the World,
Burroughs
Sorry Mayans, the world
didn't end on 12/21/12 after all. And that's not the first time we've been
disappointed like that. Let's discuss apocalyptic prophecies through the ages.
What do they say about their creators -- and believers?
David Anthony
Durham (M),
Brendan DuBois ,
Allen M. Steele ,
Alexander Jablokov,
Michael F. Flynn
Saturday 12:00 - 12:50, Military Motifs in
Fantasy, Harbor I
Walter H. Hunt (M), Craig Shaw Gardner, Myke Cole, Faye Ringel, David Anthony
Durham
Saturday 15:00 - 15:50, Writing Advice: The Next
Level, Harbor II
Writer Nick Mamatas says,
"By the time someone finds their way to a panel at an SF con, stuff like
'Don't quit your day job' and 'Read widely' and 'You have to finish a story
before you submit it' is no longer necessary...There is certainly a need for
higher-level advice. I had a student recently who had never heard of Freytag's
triangle." So let's elevate the answers, people--and the questions.
Jeanne Cavelos (M), Elizabeth Bear, Beth Meacham, David Anthony Durham, Kate
Baker
Saturday 16:00 - 16:50, The Young Adult &
Middle Grade Fiction (R)evolution, Harbor II
There seems to be a
revolution or evolution in young adult and middle grade fiction that started
with series like Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games, and everyone
seems to want in on the action. Where did YA & MG fiction come from? What
is it? Where is it going? And most importantly who should you be reading?
Erin Underwood (M),
Daniel P. Dern, Jordan
Hamessley,
David Anthony Durham
Sunday 10:00 - 10:50, Worlds You Won't
Forget, Harbor I ( Westin)
Sometimes a created world
is so vivid or unusual, it becomes a character in its own right. From old
favorites like Ringworld, Riverworld, and Middle Earth to newer, less
well-known places like Shellworld, Earwa, or Umayma, what fantastic landscapes
do you remember best? What makes a world come alive? Is detailed worldbuilding
always worth it for the reader?
David Anthony
Durham (M),
Charles Stross,
Melinda Snodgrass,
Vernor Vinge,
Elizabeth Bear
When translating works of
fiction into English, what are some of the dangers associated with capturing
the original piece "meaning for meaning?" What affect do
cross-cultural references have or the lack of historical knowledge have on
either the translator or the reader of the newly translated piece of fiction?
Moreover, is the translated work as valid as the original? How might
translation techniques impact the interpreted work for good or ill? Panelists
will also discuss examples of translated work.
David Anthony
Durham (M),
Jack M. Haringa, John Chu
New interview up at The Arched Doorway. It was good fun talking with Rebecca Lovatt at the World Fantasy Conference in Toronto. She managed to secure an impressive number of author interviews. I'm one of them!
The World Fantasy Conference was great fun, as always. It's one of my favorite cons, and I just love it that walking into the lobby on the first day means greeting friend after friend. I met a ton of new people also, which is a treat. Means I'll have that many more friends to connect with next time!
Of course, I totally failed to take any photos, and I'm not going to exhaustively name drop. (Although, hanging out with the Australian contingent is highly recommended. Garth Nix is absurdly nice for someone that's sold millions of copies. Sean Williams, too.)
I will mention that, to my embarrassment, I had barroom conversation with Lavie Tidhar without 1) congratulating him on being nominated for the World Fantasy Award and 2) somehow managing to forget that I'd just bought his book and was very much looking forward to it. Not good con etiquette. I guess we had other things to talk about, though.
Oh, and then Lavie went on to win the big prize. Congrats, sir.
Okay, so a little name dropping. Not much, though.
That title comes from a post by Genevieve Valentine. Have you heard about this? It's one of those stories that's ripping around sff fandom at the moment.
I love Readercon. Every time I miss one (which I've had to do several times the last few years) I'm bummed. But they're not perfect...
The issue Genevieve is writing about is sexual harassment. I know Genevieve. She's very cool, and I've no doubt about taking her word on this. If she says this guy was crossing the line, again and again, then I'm sure he was.
I don't know what the appropriate actions are in response. (I mean, I don't know the Con's actions necessarily should be. My own actions, had I been there... those I can well imagine. Anyway...)
It does seem to me to be a problem when the conference has a stated policy of zero tolerance for harassment, when they've banned people for life in the past, but then... in the case of an influential member of the community they veer from their own policy to give a much lighter response.
I'm no expert on any of this. I wasn't there. If you're interested, google the topic. There are plenty of people writing intelligently about this. Or go to Genevieve herself. She has three post about it:
I'm back from France! I had a terrific time, as ever. Imaginales was just as good as last time, better in some ways.
I did quite a few interviews, some audio, some video, some for print. I guess they'll make their way out into the world over the next few weeks. Was on a selection of panels. All went well, I think. I met a terrific group of writers. The international guests included Mercedes Lackey (great fun), Jaye Wells (one of the gang each evening, drinking and smoking like a local), Mary-Janice Davidson (a complete riot - unfiltered), and Naomi Novik (the only one of us that actually spoke decent French). I was also particularly happy to spend time with Kai Meyer, the bestselling German writer. I've been a fan of his middle grade novels for a long time, and we've corresponded in the past. (By the way, he's got a new YA series debuting in the US - Arcadia Awakens.)
Of course, there were plenty of French writers too! Between the panels and signing sessions and dinner and bar time I hung out with them. Just to name a few: Sire Cédric, Laurent Whale, Carina Rozenfeld, Marie Caillet, Nicolas Cluzeau, Marika Gallman, Lionel Davoust, Cassandra O'Donnell, Christophe Vacher, Sylvie Miller, Adrien Tomas, Anne Fakhouri, Pierre Bordage, Ayerdhal, Samantha Bailly... And there were many more! Good people all of them.
Oh, and I'm pleased to say I even had some fans! Lovely fans. I signed plenty of books, took a few pictures, kissed some cheeks. It was France, after all.
If you want to see how I roll in France, you could take a look at the series of videos from my extended interview section. It's an interesting process considering that the interview is conducted in French. And... ah... I don't speak French. (Not yet, at least. If they keep inviting me back I'm definitely going to learn.)
To get you started, the first part is here:
Anyway, I'm very pleased to have attended for a second time. Much thanks to the town of Epinal, the Imaginales coordinators and to my wonderful, dedicated, tireless publishing team at Le Pré aux clercs. Thank you.
I've been crazy-busy this last week. Between moving out of Upper Park, staying with friends in Aberfeldy, saying goodbye to the wife and kids (who headed toward the Isle of Rum from a family meet-up), to driving up to Aberdeenshire to drop off our stuff and our pets with my sister-in-law (who then also headed to Rum), to driving in to Aberdeen and flying to London for Eastercon, to returning to Aberdeenshire, meeting up with the wife and kids (and everyone else that was on Rum), to driving down to Edinburgh and playing host to our neighbors from Massachusetts... well, it's been a bit hectic.
All throughout it, a batted emails back and forth about some very interesting new developments (more on those if anything comes of them, of course), and I kept reading student work.
I even tried to do some writing! (Not very successfully.)
I want to post at length about Eastercon, as it was a terrific con and I'm very glad I went. So, that post will come.
Right now, though, I want to mention another writer - Mary Robinette Kowal. She has a new novel out today, Glamour in Glass, and guess what? Somehow, at the last minute, the first line of the novel was cut out. Yikes. The book that's hitting shelves as I speak begins exactly one line after she intended. As horrible as that is, Mary has done an absolutely brilliant job of bouncing back from it.
I'm up early on strangely warm Scottish autumn afternoon. Seeing the kids off to school, and then I'll be heading south to Brighton for British FantasyCon. Never been to a British Con before, so it'll be a new experience for me. Not sure if I'll just lurk, or if I'll actually rub shoulders and knock back drinks with folks. We shall see...
Just back from the West Coast, where I did a number of cool things, including Comic-Con! I could tell you all about it, but I'm knackered. I'll let this wonderful person from MTV Geek tell you about one of the things I did - a Wild Cards panel with George RR Martin. Tons of fun. Huge audience. And, if you can believe it, I got through without saying anything really stupid. Relief on that.
This time I'll just be heading down the road a little bit to Boston, for Boskone. I attended for the first time last year, and enjoyed it quite a bit. Should be fun this time around too. I've got a rather choice lineup of events/appearances, with lots of interesting folks in the mix.
One of the things I like about my panels this time around is that they all look to be... well... fun. They look like fun. Positive. Sort of hanging out and talking about books and authors we like. No deep and meaningful conversations for me. Hopefully nothing contentious. Just a good time. You should come along!
Big Canvas, Little Strokes: Creating an Epic Fantasy Series
Peter V. Brett David Anthony Durham (M) Elaine Isaak Rosemary Kirstein Jo Walton
Building a world in fractal detail, animating a vast cast of characters, finding and holding an audience: let's talk about the challenges of writing in a format with perhaps the broadest scope in the business.
(It seems like I'll be attached at the hip to Peter V. Brett this weekend. We have three events events together!)
Friday 9pm
Against a Bright Background -- Building a Vivid World
Karen Anderson (M) David Anthony Durham Elaine Isaak Robert Kuhn Karl Schroeder
It's a main strength (or weakness) of much SF and fantasy. How is it done when it's done well? Let's talk about the nuts and bolts of worldbuilding: physical setting, flora, fauna, nonhuman (ET or otherworldy) beings, cultures, languages, economies, cuisines, and more!
Saturday 10am
Autographing
Saturday 11am
New Faces of Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Laird Barron Peter V. Brett Paul Di Filippo (M) David Anthony Durham Kelly Link
These exceptional writers may still be in the early stages of their career, but already we catch glimpses of greatness. Let's name names -- and talk about what makes them so special.
(And can I just say, "Hurrah, I'm on a panel with Kelly Link! Fun.)
Saturday 1pm
Kaffeeklatsch
Peter V. Brett David Anthony Durham
(The True Blood imagery is, of course, in honor of Charlaine Harris, with whom I'll be sharing the stage for:)
Saturday 2pm
Authors I Love (And Why)
Paul Di Filippo David Anthony Durham (M) Charlaine Harris James D. Macdonald
Sunday 10am
Reading: David Anthony Durham
If you're anywhere near the Boston area, consider dropping in. It really is a good time!
I'm just starting to get my schedule for this years Readercon. Unfortunately, I'm only going to be able to be there for one day, Friday, July 9th. I'll have to cut out that evening to head up to Maine for the Stonecoast MFA residency. That will be great fun too, but I'm sorry it clashes with Readercon - one of my favorites cons.
Still, I'll be there for one action packed day. I have two panels with some great folks. They are as follows...
In Search of Lost Time: History and Memory in Historical and Speculative Fiction Friday, 12:30 p.m., Salon F Christopher M. Cevasco, Alan DeNiro, David Anthony Durham (L), Andrea Hairston, Howard Waldrop
"[I]n places like the Caribbean, West Africa and so on, we have two distinct elements. We have history which is written in books about the white people — how they came to Guadeloupe, how they colonized Guadeloupe, how they became the masters of Guadeloupe — and you have memory, which is the actual facts of the people of Guadeloupe and Martinique — the way they lived, the way they suffered, the way they enjoyed life. We are trained to rely more on our memories and the memories of people around us than on books" — Maryse Condé, explaining the genesis of her new novel Victoire: My Mother's Mother. Clearly the best historical fiction attempts to bridge the gap between these two modes of understanding by bringing the richness of memory to the rigor of history. But it's also a commonplace that history is the trade secret of speculative fiction. How is the interplay of history and memory in imaginative literature like and unlike that of historical fiction?
Why Aren't I Repeating Myself? Why? Friday, 8:00 p.m., Salon F with David Anthony Durham (L), Patrick O'Leary, Paul Park, Jennifer Pelland, and Michael Swanwick Some writers hone a single approach for their entire careers, while others are much likelier to produce work that is, by their own track record, sui generis. Why are these writers driven to explore new genres, styles, themes, and structures, when most of their peers need less variety? Is it simply a product of having wide-ranging interests? Or something deeper? Since we suspect that many such writers may find the phenomenon mysterious to themselves, we encourage them to trade notes about their specific motivations for writing works that took them to new stylistic, structural and thematic territory.
That (L) means I'm the leader of both panels. An honor, I guess, although it means added preparation to the already daunting amount of stuff I need to have ready for Stonecoast. Oh well, it's nice to be wanted. They haven't announced readings and individual talks and all that stuff yet, so maybe I'll soon have more to report.
If you can make it for any of this con (it's outside of Boston, MA). It's a great one in terms of a real focus on authors, readers and the books they love. Pretty much no dressing up or Stormtroopers or anything like that. Great panels. Ideas flying like crazy. Lots of accessibility to authors. And readers!
February 12-14, 2010 at the Westin Waterfront Hotel.
My schedule is: Friday 6:30pm A Reading! (0.5 hrs) by David Anthony Durham
Friday 7pm Seriously, Where *Do* Your Ideas Come From?
Lois McMaster Bujold David Anthony Durham (M) Darlene Marshall Paul G. Tremblay Mary A. Turzillo
We know ideas don't come from a mailbox in upstate New York. So, seriously, where do they come from? Do you muse on "what if's"? Are there personal inspirations for your tales? Do you find a particular setting evocative, and just waiting to be detailed in a story?
Saturday 2pm Autographing - David Anthony Durham
Sunday 11am One More Time - If You Liked That, Read This...
Debra Doyle (M) David Anthony Durham Faye Ringel Edie Stern Christopher Weuve
Continued (again!) from last year… Your favorite stories or authors can lead you to others, alike in interesting or unexpected ways. Tell the experts on the panel your likes (and dislikes) and they'll give you recommendations on what to read next!
Sunday 12noon When The Magic Goes Away
David Anthony Durham Rosemary Kirstein Tom Shippey (M) Jo Walton Jane Yolen
There is magic and mystery and great beauty. And then the Old Magic slips away from the forests, the gates to Faerie close, and the last ships sail to the west. There is a bittersweet memory, perhaps, of what it was to be more than merely mortal. Explore this theme, and why it is so potent.
Sunday 2pm Are Good and Evil Gone from Epic Fantasy?
Beth Bernobich David Anthony Durham (M) Greer Gilman Patrick Nielsen Hayden Michael Swanwick
The world we live in has always been defined by shades of gray, however fantastic fiction has a long tradition of black and white politics, usually complete with a Dark Lord on his sufficiently dark throne. Recent series that have garnered praise such as Martins 'A Song of Ice and Fire,' Lynch's 'The Gentlemen Bastards,' Bakker's 'The Prince of Nothing,' and Rothfuss's 'Kingkiller Chronicle' all feature fallible characters without perfect moral compasses and by extent are more compelling. Are the days of the Dark Lords done in adult fiction?
I just got my first invite to Boskone, the regional sci-fi conference based in Boston. I've never been, but I'd been thinking I was going to go, especially since I'm now based in Massachusetts. So the invitation is very welcome. I'm thinking I'll be there. It's on February 12-14th, at the Westin Waterfront.
My friend John Picacio, artist extraordinaire, will be on hand as one of the guests of honor. Alastair Reynolds will be there as the writer guest of honor. Looks like Lois Mcmaster Bujold will also be in attendance. I'll just be there as me, but I'm cool with that. If you happen to be in the Boston area consider stopping in. I'll post here when I know what panels and/or activities I'll be involved in.
Kathryn Cramer has aptly named my last Worldcon panel "The Blair Witch Panel". It was so weird, friends. So weird. She actually didn't stay for most of it, but what she did she she captured on film.
I'm not sure I can explain what happened. I mean, I was there, yes. I saw and heard what happened, but it was just all so weird right from the start. Admittedly, I didn't arrive knowing exactly what to make of the topic (something about Cultural Memory) or with much prepared to say. I knew I wasn't moderating, so hoped that however was would give some shape to it. Alas, there was no moderator.
Okay, perhaps we could still pull it together, though, right? Blind Lemming Chiffon picks a guy out of the audience (I don't know who he was) and he jumps up to moderate. We start to define the topic and terms and realize that none of us really have them defined. We're just making it up. Patrick Nielsen Hayden points this fact out. Good point, but already he's getting grumpy. Audience starts trying to help. Blind Lemming Chiffon has a grand idea that the topic can be summed up by a song that a friend of his wrote. He asks her to sing and she jumps up to do so. As the guitar comes out Patrick bolts for the door, muttering curses. The woman... sings a song about... oh, I don't know. Who could listen? At this point I'm just watching the exodus of audience members, wishing I was one of them.
Geoff Ryman, to his credit, tries to get some shape to the discussion. Perhaps unfortunately, though, he mentions race... Oh boy, suddenly we have a race panel! One woman in the audience in particular stands up talking about how she doesn't "see" color, and then follows this with all sorts of offensive, prejudiced comments, complete with some body jive and the mention that though she grew up in LA she's since escaped to Alaska...
And so passed the session. I don't know that we made a bit of sense. I have to say, I really, really wanted to leave. I only didn't because it struck me as disrespectful to the people that came to see the panel and were still sitting there. If there's an upside it's that those people were still there at the end, and they seemed to feel a sense of camaraderie with us for having survived it.
.)
